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A. D. CONVERSE.

SPINNING TOP, APPLICATION FILED MAY 16. i9l8- RENEWED OCT-H3, 1919.

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.ATI-IERTON CONVERSE, 0F WINCHEN DON;MASSACHUSETTS: I

SPINNING-Tor.

Application filed May 16, 1918, Serial No. 234,933. Renewed October 18, 1919. Serial rim-331,748.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ATHERTON D. CON- VERSE, a citizen of the United States, resident of lVinchendon, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spinning-Tops, of which the following is a specification.

The invention is animprovement in spinning tops and consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the top.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view.

In these drawings the body or casing 1 is made of wood or metal, the drawing indicating th wooden form. It has a spindle 2 journaled in a recess 3 at the lowerend of the cavity in the casing. At the upper end of the spindle there is an enlargement 4 which is of slight frusto-conical form tapering upwardly and this enlargement is formed with or fixed to the spindle.

The upper end of the body or casing is closed by a plate 4 which rests on a shoulder 5 of the casing whereon it is held by screws as shown. This plate or cover has a central upwardly extending rimv 6 which on its inner side tapers upwardly to correspond with the taper of the enlargement of the spindle. This enlargement extends. sufliciently far beyond this rim to provide a handle portion 4 to be grasped by the operator in winding up the spring 7 which is of spiral form and is secured at its upper and lower ends to the spindle and body or casing respectively. The spring may be held in various ways but in the particular form shown it has upper and lower extensions 8, 9, which respectively fit into openings in the underside of the spindle enlargement and the base portion of the casing so that the parts may be readily assembled by thrusting the lower straight extension of the spring into the lower opening and then placing the spindle in place and making the upper end of the spring enter the opening in the enlargement. V

In winding the spring for spinning the top the body is held in one hand and the handle end of the spindle is grasped in the other and the parts are then relatively turned to eflect one winding action, and at the end of this operation the spindle is pulled outwardly to bring the conical surface of the spindle enlargement into contact with the interior conical surface of the rim .i il '2 7 lite/lib.)

Specification of Letters Patent. Patnted Dec. 16, 1919. i

6 and this will act as a brake to hold the parts in the positionv they have assumed whlle the operator takes a new hold for the next winding actionfl This having been the parts may be relatively rotated to.

further wind the spring and this action is repeated until the spring has been wound to the desired degree after which the spindle may be pulled outwardly to set the inner conical shaped spindle in contact-with the interior surface of the cover to be held thereby.

For nowspinning the top it is placed on a table or other surface with its lower point resting thereon and then by pressing the spindle downwardly to release the conical,

surface thereof from the restraint of the complementary 'cover portion 'the' spring w1l l unwind and the body will be set in rotatlon to spin the top. If desired the spinning of the top can immediately follow the last winding action without first clutching the parts together or the parts may be released preliminary to placing the top on the table by holding them in the hands and releasing the body slightly before the handle is released.

. The main spring may be relied on to throw the parts into locking engagement, it being placed under some degree of original compression for this purpose, or an additional spring shown at 10 may be used for this purpose, though this may be omitted.

I claim 1. A. spinning top having a body and a spindle journaled therein with a spring connected with said parts and wound by relatively rotating them, saidspindle having a conical portion to engage a corresponding portion on the body 'when said spindle is moved axially outward, for holding said parts together against the tension ofthe 2. A spinning top comprising a body having an outwardly tapered recess at its upper part, a spindle in said body having an enlargement to fit the said recess and an ex- 5 tension of said enlargement outside the body to provide a handle, said spindle being axially movable to throw th tapered surfaces into and out of engagement and a spring coiled about the spindle and connected at its ends to the body and to the spindle, respec- 10 tively, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ATHERTON D. CONVERSE. 

